Yamaha is less uptight about future plans since the Apex was unveiled this spring. In fact, Yamaha has become almost cavalier about discussing its 4-stroke future.
MY ‘06 will be the last you’ll see of any 2-stroke models from Yamaha. Don’t expect anything but 4-stroke powered Yamahas in the future.
Yamaha is fully aware of the need for a cost efficient 80 to 90 HP to compete in the 500 class. We suspect an engine of this description is not far off.
The New York State Legislature recently passed a bill aimed at setting a 55 MPH speed limit for snowmobiles and banning anyone under the age of 14 from operating a snowmobile without adult supervision.
The bill appears to be directed at safety issues requiring 14 year olds to obtain a snowmobile Safety Certificate. The speed limit will be imposed on over 80% of the States trails, but only those on public land or maintained by snowmobile clubs.
The new law also includes an important change to state trail funding. A $45.00 trail development fee will be required annually from snowmobile club members when registering a sled. Non-members will ante up $100.00 for the same cause.
We recently asked if you would you buy a 4-stroke sled over a 2-stroke sled this year. Out of 575 voters, the final results were as follows:
45.04% – YES! (259 votes)
41.74% – NO! (240 votes)
10.61% – Yes, but not satisfied with current selection. (61 votes)
02.61% – Yes, but none available from my brand. (15 votes)
To cast your vote in our latest poll, scroll down to the bottom of the page!
Press Release –
Snowmobiling enthusiasts from around the country got their first taste of what Polaris has on tap for the 2006 season recently at the PSGDRA Grass Drags in Greenville, Michigan. Brian Talty of Talty Polaris in Streator, Illinois piloted a stock 2006 Polaris 600 HO Fusion, a modified 600 HO Fusion and a 2005 Polaris 440 IQ Racer in separate grass drag races – and captured top honors in all three.
Known as “Flyin’ Brian”, Talty was amazed at the performance of each sled and the reaction of the crowd when he finished first – not once, not twice, but three times. “The 2006 600 HO is a very exciting sled this year and provides a great balance of what everyone wants – it’s the sled a lot of people have been waiting for.”
The 2006 600 HO Fusion is purpose-built for dominant on the trail performance. Its powerful Liberty 600 HO engine is based on the same mechanical magic that makes the Liberty 440 engine the one to beat on snocross tracks across the snow belt.
In addition, the technology behind the track-inspired IQ chassis that carried Polaris racers to 7 total championships around the globe last season is also standard equipment on the class-leading 600 HO Fusion and several other ’06 models. These include the turbo charged FST Switchback and deep snow king 900 RMK.
What’s the next logical step for Yamaha after sending the market gah-gah over the Vector and the Apex?
We suspect the Vector will get the same treatment the RX-1 received – basically a conversion to full rider forward ergos using a similar chassis to the Apex with the Vector’s satisfying three cylinder mill.
This would clear the way for the package we just mentioned – an 80 to 90 HP (possibly a twin) bolted into the current Vector chassis to be used as a 2-up and economy/rental platform.
The Canadian Snowcross Racing Association (CSRA) recently announced racing classes for the new Ski-Doo Freestyle. The class is actually for 300cc full size machines but, at this time the Freestyle is it.Anyone from age 8 to an adult can enter specific classes to compete on these ultra cool and capable little rockets.
If you salivate at the thought of racing snocross in a non-threatening environment, this may be your chance to get out there and have a jumbo injection of racing fun.
The 300cc class means no big-buck spending, leveling the playing field for all competitors. Kids who’ve outgrown their mini-sleds (120 class) now have the perfect class to stay in snocross and hone their skills on real-sized sleds.
There’s no down side to this deal (a similar WSA announcement is expected very soon) so pull out thirty five clams (one day entry) and take your new Freestyle to the races for an afternoon.
Call the CSRA at 905-476-7182 for more information.
Last year Ski-Doo produced the 170-plus horsepower SDI 1000 twin with decompression bleed down holes in each cylinder to allow for easier rope starting. The term “easier” is a little ambiguous given the force required to tug this fighter over.
This year BRP has plugged the decompression holes and added another five ponies to the mill’s formidable tally. This would make the SDI 1000 the undisputed HP King of the sport coming oh-so-close to 180 HP!
There’s a common sense advantage here as well as decompression holes can increase plug fouling during extended idling. Besides, who in their right mind would order an M-Z or MX-Z 1000 without electric start?
In the first quarter of 2005 the new BRP (Ski-Doo, Sea-Doo, ATV, Johnson/Evinrude, Rotax) increased its gross profit by 28% to $115.3 million on sales of $594.0 million. The same period a year earlier recorded a gross profit of $90.2 million.
Looking at BRP’s financial performance since becoming a stand alone recreational powersports manufacturer, it would appear things are going well in spite of a strengthening Canadian to US dollar ratio – the only issue having a negative impact on results thus far.
Press Release –
The wins just keep coming for Yamaha snowmobiles in the popular Midwest 500-ft. grass drags. At the PSGDRA meet in Greenville, Mich., Brian Tyler jetted to Stock 600 Multi wins aboard his new 2006 Yamaha Apex on both Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, Steve Agdorny took his new Nytro to second place in Stock 500 on both days.
The new Apex also grabbed the top two places in the Stock 600 class at the NSRA event in Princeton, Minn. on Saturday. Jerry Fix took the win over Pat Hauck, while Matt Theis came in third on his RX-1 to make it a Yamaha sweep.
Hauck turned the tables to capture Improved Stock 600 aboard his RX Warrior, with Fix second on another RX Warrior and Randy Stodola third on an RX-1. Then Jim Jones topped the Stock 600 S (single pipe) class on his Yamaha RS Vector.
In NSRA action on Sunday, Jerry Hauck and Jones finished 1-2 on their Vectors in the Stock 500 class. Randy Stodola topped Stock 600 on his trusty Yamaha RX-1, with Fix second and Hauck third on their new Apex sleds. Fix and Stodola also claimed the Improved Stock 600 class for Yamaha, with Fix aboard an RX Warrior and Stodola on an RX-1.
Also on Sunday, Allen Ulmer won the Stock 600 class on an Apex at the SDSDRA event in Wheaton, Minn. Weekend score for Yamaha: 10 wins, including four for the new Apex. Looks like a great head start for 2006!
Albeit a sales success, Arctic Cat currently only produces one 4-stroke sled (with variants). For the company to deliver a credible 4-stroke based product line, weight technology will have to be advanced significantly.
Arctic Cat’s hallmark has been lightweight performance in every segment. On the other side of the coin, Cat’s now legendary 600 and 700 2-stroke twins produce unequaled performance in their classes, though these engines appear vulnerable to EPA compliance issues in the short term.
No SDI, DI or groundbreaking clean-air 2-stroke technology has been unveiled by the TRF crew. With Firecat tooling due for an update, and 4-stroke power being openly crowed, we suspect AC may soon make a diametric shift toward 4-stroke power, exploding conventional wisdom along the way.
Known for delivering amazing handling and ride, Cat is faced with a formidable challenge entering the clean air age. In the short term its still 2-stroke at the green camp but indicators run hot for a 4-stroke future.
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